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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.

SUMMARY: Fragment 33 discusses the use of symbolism in Orphic texts.

33. (253) Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως V 8, 49, 3 (II 360, 10 Staeh.)

Τί δ'; οὐχὶ καὶ Ἐπιγένης ἐν τῷ περὶ τῆς Ὀρφέως ποιήσεως τὰ ἰδιάζοντα παῥ Ὀρφεῖ ἐκτιθέμενός φησι 'κερκίσι καμπυλόχρωσι' τοῖς ἀρότροις μηνύεσθαι, 'στήμοσι' δὲ τοῖς αὔλαξι· 'μίτον' δὲ τὸ σπέρμα ἀλληγορεῖσθαι, καὶ 'δάκρυα Διὸς' τὸν ὄμβρον δηλοῦν, 'Μοίρας' τε αὖ τὰ μέρη τῆς σελήνης, τριακάδα καὶ πεντεκαιδεκάτην καὶ νουμηνίαν· διὸ καὶ 'λευκοστόλους'αὐτὰς καλεῖν τὸν Ὀρφέα φωτὸς οὔσας μέρη. πάλιν 'ἄνθιον' μὲν τὸ ἔαρ διὰ τὴν φύσιν, 'ἀργίδα' δὲ τὴν νύκτα διὰ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ 'Γοργόνιον' τὴν σελήνην διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ πρόσωπον, 'Ἀφροδίτην' τε τὸν καιρὸν καθ' ὃν δεῖ σπείρειν, λέγεσθαι παρὰ τῷ θεολόγῳ.

Τοιαῦτα καὶ οἱ Πυθαγόρειοι ᾐνίσσοντο, Φερσεφόνης μὲν κύνας τοὺς πλανήτας, Κρόνου δὲ δάκρυον τὴν θάλασσαν ἀλληγοροῦντες. καὶ μυρία ἐπὶ μυρίοις εὕροιμεν ἂν ὑπό τε φιλοσόφων ὑπό τε ποιητῶν αἰνιγματωδῶς εἰρημένα, ὅπου γε καὶ ὅλα βιβλία ἐπικεκρυμμένην τὴν τοῦ συγγραφέως βούλησιν ἐπιδείκνυται, ὡς καὶ τὸ Ἡρακλείτου περὶ φύσεως, ὃς καὶ δί αὐτὸ τοῦτο Σκοτεινὸς προσηγόρευται. ὁμοία τούτῳ τῷ βιβλίῳ καὶ ἡ Φερεκύδους θεολογία τοῦ Συρίου.

“Does not Epigenes, in his book on the Poetry of Orpheus, in exhibiting the peculiarities found in Orpheus, say that by ‘the curved rods’ (κεραίσι) is meant ‘ploughs;’ and by the warp (στήμοσι), the furrows; and the woof (μίτος) is a figurative expression for the seed; and that the tears of Zeus signify a shower; and that the ‘parts’ (μοῖραι) are, again, the phases of the moon, the thirtieth day, and the fifteenth, and the new moon, and that Orpheus accordingly calls them ‘white-robed,’ as being parts of the light? Again, that the Spring is called ‘flowery,’ from its nature; and Night ‘still,’ on account of rest; and the Moon ‘Gorgonian,’ on account of the face in it; and that the time in which it is necessary to sow is called Aphrodite by the ‘Theologian.’

“In the same way, too, the Pythagoreans figuratively called the planets the ‘dogs of Persephone;’ and to the sea they applied the metaphorical appellation of the ‘tears of Kronus.’ Myriads on myriads of enigmatical utterances by both poets and philosophers are to be found; and there are also whole books which present the mind of the writer veiled, as that of Heraclitus On Nature, who on this very account is called ‘Obscure.’ Similar to this book is the Theology of Pherecydes of Syrus.” (trans. by William Wilson, 1885)

Cf. Περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου τοῦ Ἱππολύτου τῆς Ῥώμης 4 p. 4, 1 Lagarde:

ἔστι μὲν οὖν ὁ ἱστὸς τοῦ κυρίου πάθος τὸ ἐπὶ τῶι σταυρῶι γεγενημένον, στήμων δὲ ἐν αὐτῶι, ή τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος δύναμις, κρόκη δὲ ή άγία σάρξ ένυφαινομένη πνεύματι, μίτος δὲ ἡ δι’ ἀγάπης χριστοῦ χάρις σφίγγουσα καὶ ενοῦσα τα αμφότερα εἰς ἕν, κερκίδες δὲ ὁ Λόγος κτλ.

“The web-beam, therefore, is the pass on of the Lord upon the cross, and the warp on it is the power of the Holy Spirit, and the woof is the holy flesh wrought (woven) by the Spirit, and the thread is the grace which by the love of Christ binds and unites the two in one, and the combs or (rods) are the Word; and the workers are the patriarchs and prophets who weave the fair, long, perfect tunic for Christ; and the Word passing through these, like the combs or (rods), completes through them that which His Father wills.” (J.H. MacMahon, 1886)

The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.

We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

Introduction to the Thæí (the Gods): The Nature of the Gods.

How do we know there are Gods? Experiencing Gods.

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We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

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